


Escaping Fred Weasley's Magical Mistletoe

by PTwritesmore



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fred Weasley Lives, Fremione - Freeform, Fremione Fanatics' Yule Fest 2020, Friends to Lovers, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Minor Luna Lovegood/Ron Weasley, POV Hermione Granger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:53:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28118769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PTwritesmore/pseuds/PTwritesmore
Summary: What will Hermione do when she falls victim to one of Fred and George's newest holiday inventions? Post-Hogwarts Christmas fluff and Fred Weasley is alive!
Relationships: Angelina Johnson/George Weasley, Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley
Comments: 9
Kudos: 131





	Escaping Fred Weasley's Magical Mistletoe

“Fred? George? Are either of you here?” Hermione called out, her feet frozen near the entrance of the joke shop. She’d snuck in after closing to pick up some final gifts before leaving for Australia tomorrow morning. Given the timing, she’d expected to walk in to find both twins hard at work to meet the demands of the holiday season. A few weeks prior Fred had mentioned that this time last year was their busiest, right up until closing on Christmas Eve. But just a week until Christmas and the shop was abandoned, with scant a Weasley in sight. And now Hermione was cemented to her spot, alone. “Hello?” she called again, not particularly looking forward to having to send a patronus out for a rescue mission. She could hear the twins, Ron, and Harry laughing all as they recounted the story on Christmas Day at the Burrow. 

“Hi Hermione! What are you doing here?” One of the twins came rushing out of the stockroom. George, she realized by his gait before confirming with a glance at his missing ear. Though both boys had grown their hair out to continue the game of switching, their ears would occasionally poke out, giving most of their victims a much needed hint. But Hermione had devised a system for telling them apart in her fourth year during the World Cup. George had worse posture, took longer steps, and tended to be quieter than Fred. Fred also had a small scar above his left index finger and a nervous tick of rubbing her earlobe when deep in thought, which was a dead giveaway to her. How no one else caught that, she’d never understand. While the boys were identical twins, they weren’t identical people. 

“Well, I was hoping to buy some final stocking stuffers for Christmas Day before I have to catch my portkey to Australia, but I’m rather stuck,” Hermione explained, pointing at her feet, frozen to the shop floor. 

“Oh, are you having trouble choosing what you want?” George tapped his cheek and appeared deep in thought as he looked at the items in the display next to her.

“No, literally stuck,” Hermione sighed, gesturing down at her feet. “But something tells me you knew that,” she narrowed her eyes as he flashed her a shit-eating grin. 

“Are you sure you aren’t just really struggling between puking pastilles and our new boil babies?” He asked, still smiling maniacally. 

“George!”

“Fine, fine, hang on,” he said as he held up his hands in defeat. “Forge, get down here!”

“Yes Gred?” The other twin waltzed down the stairs, a package tucked under his arm. Hermione’s heart did a little flip, like it usually did when she saw Fred. She ignored it, like she usually did when she saw Fred. His chestnut eyes landed on her’s and the process repeated itself. 

“Oh hello there, Hermione,” Fred said as he smiled warmly. “What can we do you for?”

“It seems Hermione here snuck in for some stocking stuckers,” George said with a wink to Hermione. “Looks like we have our test subject,” George was still wearing the mischievous grin from earlier, which she expected Fred to return. Instead, his eyes widened as he looked between her and George. 

“Pardon?” Hermione piped up. “Did you say test subject?” She internally cringed as her voice became shrill, but kept the scowl fixed on her face. 

“Well, more like an advanced product tester,” Fred said casually with a shrug. 

“What did you promise me last year after the shampoo incident?” Hermione asked, glaring at both boys.

“But you looked great with green hair, Mione,” Fred said, amusement clear in his voice. Hermione rolled her eyes at the compliment.

“You promised,” Hermione paused to make a point, “ _ promised _ that I wouldn’t be a test subject without first getting my consent!” 

“Sorry Hermione, it was supposed to be Angelina, but we got  _ stuck _ with you first,” George chortled, elbowing her lightly in the ribs. 

“And what exactly did I stick my foot into?” She asked as she swatted his him away. 

“Our latest -”

“-and greatest invention!” 

“Introducing the holiday special -”

“-a twist on the classic mistletoe!” Fred pointed above her. Hermione reluctantly looked up, spotting a floating mistletoe two stories up. She snapped back and looked between the two of them.

“Regular enchanted mistletoe wasn’t enough?” Hermione huffed, crossing her arms angrily. 

“Maybe for the plebs. This is much better!” George promised nodding at Fred. 

“Yeah, this keeps the person who walks under it in place instead of following the person around. Much better prank,” Fred said as he gave Hermione a regretful grin.

“Okay, one of you come and give me a kiss on the cheek so I can move!”

“Sorry, but that trick doesn’t work on this one,” Fred shook his head from his place at the bottom of the stairs. 

“No loopholes,” George said as he waggled his finger in her face.

“Well how do I get unstuck?” Hermione asked, exasperated. “Can’t you do something with your wand?” Fred’s cheeks started to flush pink while George released an uncharacteristically high-pitched giggle. 

“You need a real kiss to get out of it,” Fred mumbled, looking sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck with a hand. Hermione and Fred both looked at the still giggling George next to them.

“Well, don’t look at me. I know I’m the better looking twin, but I’m a taken man. Fred?”

“Oi, I’m clearly the better looking twin. I’ve got two ears!” Fred argued, pointing at both his ears. “Sorry, couldn’t hear you with my one ear!” George called over his shoulder as he walked up the stairs away from them. 

“Yes, you’re both very good looking, great,” Hermione rolled her eyes again. “Fred, could you help me out? Then I can get out of your hair.”

“Yeah, that is exactly what he wants,” George muttered as he climbed, loud enough for both Hermione and Fred to glare at him. Hermione knew Fred wasn’t interested in his little brother’s best friend, but she didn’t need to be reminded of that fact. 

“Of course,” Fred took two large strides to close the distance between them. He gave her an apologetic look before ducking down and pressing his mouth to her’s. As his lips quickly ghosted over her’s, that familiar heart flutter returned with a force Hermione had never felt before. When Fred pulled back, Hermione felt a heat creeping up her chest, onto her neck, and face, and the tips of her ears. 

“Mate, you really thought that was going to work?” George called, leaning over the banister from the second floor. “You know what we did to this.”

“Bugger off, you damn voyeur!” Fred threw a rude gesture at his brother, who returned it before disappearing into the second floor. “Sorry, Hermione,” Fred whispered into her ear, his breath hot on her neck. “I know this isn’t exactly the Christmas kiss you want.”

Before she could respond Fred leaned in again, pressing his lips to her’s. This time he lingered, his soft lips putting more pressure between them. Now she kissed him back. His arms snaked around her middle, drawing her closer. She moved her hands up from his chest to around his neck, matching Fred’s increasingly frantic pace. Soon her hands were wrapped in the shaggy ginger mess she’d daydreamed about for years. After a few moments of this Fred gently broke away from her, the pair smiling shyly at the other. 

“We are thinking of calling it the Sticking Snoggingtoe,” Fred said quietly looking back up at the mistletoe. 

“Snoggingtoe?” Hermione wrinkled her nose. 

“Right, not our best. We’re working on the name.”

“Are you sure you didn’t cast the liplocker curse, Fred?” George called, reappearing again over the bannister, before wolf whistling. Hermione felt her face turn redder than her kissing companion’s hair before sneaking a look at Fred. Normally, he’d be trading good natured barbs with George, joking at her expense. But Fred was unusually quiet, a pink dusting beneath his freckles as he glowered at his brother. Hermione’s heart did that same little flip looking at his flushed face, thrilled to get to see such a rare sight. As George walked back down the stairs towards them, Hermione smiled in the same way she’d seen the twins do countless times since she was eleven and wordless sent a stinging hex George’s way. 

“Oi!” George rubbed his arm. “Don’t blame a bloke from stating the obvious!”

“Well I think the only obvious thing here is that I am clearly the better looking twin!” Fred was back to his normal self, stepping away from Hermione and striking a macho pose. She ignored the slight disappointment she felt from his move and took a few steps to the other side herself. 

“Keep kidding yourself,” George chortled, matching Fred’s poses. 

“Oi! Why can’t I move?” Angelina’s voice came from behind Hermione, causing the three to turn to her. She was stuck in the same spot Hermione had been, arms crossed and eyebrows pinched. “George, you promised no more traps!”

“My lady awaits,” George gave them a small salute as he started towards the door. Fred returned it with a two finger salute of his own. “Angelina, most beautiful woman in the world, I’m going to give you your first Christmas gift!” George boasted loudly. Fred laughed, shaking his head and motioned for Hermione to follow him away from the happily snogging, and not at all stuck, couple. 

“Sorry about all that Hermione!” Fred said with a large smile plastered on. Hermione had never seen this smile before - it was so unlike his usually easy grin. “I’ve got a few things to finish up in the back before the rush returns tomorrow morning. Grab whatever you need - on the house for being such a kind advanced product tester. See you at Christmas!” He called over his shoulder, barely giving her a look goodbye before he disappeared into the back. 

Hermione grabbed a handful of candies from the nearest stall without looking and bolted, stepping around the snogging couple to get out. She couldn’t get the kiss out of her head. Hermione spent the next week overanalyzing it, wondering about that uncomfortable smile Fred gave her. She replayed the kiss over and over, when she couldn’t fall asleep that night, when she took the portkey to Australia, when she watched Miracle on 34th Street on Christmas Eve with her parents, when she waited for her parents to open their presents on Christmas morning. And when she stood in front of her fireplace on Christmas Day. 

“You can do this,” she muttered to herself as she grabbed the floo powder. “This won’t be awkward.” 

“Hermione! Happy Christmas!” A chorus of yells greeted her as she stepped out of the floo into the Burrow’s packed living room. 

“Happy Christmas!” Hermione returned before being swept into a sea of hugs, first from Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Luna before Mrs. Weasley shooed them away for her own hug. 

“Hermione, we’re so glad you’re here! How were your parents this morning, dear?” Mrs. Weasley asked, still holding Hermione in a tight embrace. 

“Very well! I can’t get used to a warm Christmas, but they are loving their Australian retirement. I would’ve never sent them there if I had known they wouldn’t come back. They wish you and Arthur a very happy Christmas.” 

“That is too kind. Well off you pop to the kitchen - we have drinks and food waiting there for you,” Mrs. Weasley waved her towards the kitchen as she took the wrapped presents and Hermione’s coat. 

“There’s the snogging queen,” George greeted her with a wink as she walked into the kitchen. Fred elbowed him hard in the side and shot her an apologetic grin. Fleur waved from her seat at the counter, though she cocked a blonde eyebrow at George’s greeting. 

“ _ Great _ ,” she thought, “ _ He’s already brought it up! _ ” Outwardly, she rolled her eyes as she gave him a hug. “Hello to you too, you arse. Hi, Fred,” she gave Fred a more tentative hug, worried he might push her off. Instead, he lingered, letting her go slowly and brushing her hand as they disentangled. 

“The what?” Ginny bounced over, her hearing annoyingly supersonic when it came to Hermione’s dating life. 

“Nothing. I was the victim of a prank before I went to Australia,” Hermione said as she glared at the twins. “I don’t know if you’ve seen their newest invention.”

“Speaking of which, has anyone seen Bill?” Fred asked, looking around. 

“Fred! George!” Bill yelled angrily from the living room, setting the twins into a fit of laughter. 

“Zat iz my cue,” a pregnant Fleur stood up, glaring at the twins as she walked out of the kitchen. 

“Wait, who freed you then?” Ginny asked, looking like the cat who ate the canary while she eyed Hermione. 

“Freddie did,” George wiggled his ginger brows suggestively before Fred shoved his twin’s shoulder. 

“If I hadn’t, there would’ve been a line out the door for the chance to kiss the fair Hermione Granger. I was just the bloke lucky enough to be closest,” Fred said, taking a sip of his firewhiskey before sending Hermione a cheeky wink. 

“Single bloke. Technically I was closer,” George said. 

“Come now, let’s do presents,” Mrs. Weasley’s voice called from the living room. As they left the kitchen, George ran ahead, pushing people into seats until there were only two spots open on the couch. Fred sat first, comfortably stretching his arm out on the back of the couch and resting his ankle on his other leg. Hermione quickly sat down next to him, careful not to let their legs touch. She was acutely aware of the warmth of his body for the next hour as they opened gifts. 

When Fred excused himself to the bathroom, Hermione took a deep breath and steeled herself. After a minute, she stood and followed behind him. Hermione watched from the shadows as Fred opened the bathroom door and started down the stairs, only to find his feet stuck at the top of the staircase. Groaning, the lanky man’s eyes went skyward. When he found the floating mistletoe above him, he let out a frustrated grunt before yelling down the stairs. “George! I can’t believe you turned on your own twin, you wanker!”

Laughter echoed up the stairs before George yelled back up to his twin from the living room, “It wasn’t me! Now who feels like a wanker?”

“Actually,” Hermione spoke up as she took a step forward. She forced herself to hold his gaze. “I put it there.”

“Revenge, Granger? I can’t say I’m surprised, but to betray me and not George? Truly cold,” Fred said as he held his chest melodramatically. His easy grin was back on his face, Hermione noted happily.

“Actually you’re the only Weasley twin I wanted to play this specific trick on - how about a redo?” She asked so softly she was worried he couldn’t hear her. But his shocked expression quickly quelled that fear before causing a new wave of anxiety. “ _ What if he doesn’t want to? What if this is a giant mistake? _ ” Hermione yelled internally.

“You want to kiss me...again?” Fred choked out, eyes locked on her still. Hermione nodded. She took a breath before forcing her feet to move towards him. Ignoring the doubt seeping in from all parts of her brain, Hermione positioned herself in front of him. She bit her lip and looked up into his firewhiskey eyes, which were swirling with something much darker than the usual mischief she’d seen in them before. 

“Happy Christmas, Fred,” Hermione whispered to him, before stepping up onto her tiptoes and kissing him gently. She pulled back to see if this was okay with him, but before she could truly break their embrace, Fred’s mouth crashed into her’s, warm and hungry. Now she didn’t ignore her heart as it flipped again and again. His hands tangled into her curls and she grabbed his biceps, which were surprisingly bigger than she expected. He nibbled her bottom lip, prompting a small moan to escape her before she pushed her body into his and pulled him in for an even deeper kiss. A cough from the bottom of the stairs brought them back to reality. The pair separated quickly, both breathing heavily with smiles on their faces. 

“Is everyone going to get one of those?” George asked from the bottom of the steps, the lot of the Weasley crowd behind him. Angelina smacked his shoulder, though she laughed along with him. 

“Bloody hell! That was disgusting,” Ron blurted out, pretending to shudder. Luna gave him a kiss on the cheek while Ginny scoffed at him. 

“Leave the pair of them alone, shoo,” Mrs. Weasley ushered the family out of the hallway, looking extremely pleased as she left with them. 

“Well, that was a bloody good Christmas present, Hermione,” Fred whispered once they were alone. He let his forehead rest on her’s. 

‘“ _ That _ was the Christmas kiss I’d been hoping for,” Hermione replied, pulling back to study him. “Though, I wouldn’t be opposed to another.” 

“Who am I to deny a beautiful witch her Christmas wish?” Fred cocked an eyebrow before pressing his lips to her’s again.


End file.
